©Gary Sweeten
Not long ago I read an article by Bob Blincoe about Islam's concept of honor and shame. It is a simple but powerful insight into the clash of civilizations we are encountering today as we fight the war on Islamic terror and as Israel and Hezbollah fight in Lebanon. America is a nation that was founded on the traditional understanding of scripture by Jews and Christians. We believe that people who break the law are guilty and must pay for that guilt. However, guilt, justice, forgiveness and forgiveness is not the basis of Islamic law and culture.
Islamic culture operates on Shame and Honor; defilement and cleansing. As David Pryce-Jones says in The Closed Circle:
Honor is what makes life worthwhile; shame a living death, not to be endured, requiring that it be avenged. What otherwise seems self-destructive in Arab society is explained by the anxiety to be honored and respected at all costs, and by whatever means (p. 35).
The word sharif (honor) is a common name for males throughout the Muslim world. The word for shame ayb means a dirty garment to be cast off. To remain in shame is worse than death. Only when we understand this fact will we begin to see why some Muslims hate us.
Rthat a Muslim man killed his teenage daughter because she was raped. This is completely unthinkable to westerners steeped in Christian ideas. But in Islam, women must acquire and maintain honor for the whole family; otherwise, they bring disgrace, which only their deaths may erase. The rape shamed the young girl and the only way to restore honor to the family was to kill her. This is not true for all Muslims but it is for many.
In some cultures a shamed person will kill himself. In a Muslim society, the one disgraced often needs to kill the one who brought them shame. Thus, fathers kill daughters who were raped since she defiled the family. She is not punished because of her guilt but removed because she is unclean and that defiled the entire family.
The recent events at Abu Ghraib Prison have upset many of us. The prisoners were shamed and embarrassed. That was probably the intent of the guards who know that Arab men can be motivated to talk if shamed. One of the ploys used by Americans during the early days of the Iraq War was the use of loud speakers to call the men cowards who hid behind women's skirts and would not fight. This so enraged them that they attacked tanks with pistols and rifles.
Americans have gone off the deep end with multiple confessions, calls for punishment and a desire to make Donald Rumsfeld resign. President Bush appeared on international TV and apologized. In my view, this will be seen by Muslims as a sign of extreme weakness and will be used to step up their attacks on civilians. Arab Muslim leaders intend to never, ever, show weakness for it would indicate dishonor for the entire nation.
As a rule, shame-based people, groups and nations do not apologize, confess, repent or ask forgiveness. Japan has never admitted she started WWII or that she committed massive war crimes. The leaders never have admitted, let alone apologized, for the rape of Nanking or any other atrocities. I do not expect them to ever confess for confession is designed to assuage guilt and the Japanese are intent on dealing with shame not guilt.
Many Muslims hate us because we shamed them. How?
Read the next blog.
posted by Gary Sweeten @ Tuesday, August 01, 2006
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